Demi Moore was the first honoree to speak, and she gave an inspiring speech about how she learned to tune out noise so she could keep fighting for the projects she believed in. “When I was younger, I was afraid to admit that I don’t know,” she said. “And now, I’ve learned that saying ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t have all the answers’ isn’t a weakness.”
After Tyla praised the kind of village it takes to make a global pop star, Alex Newell took the stage at the Glamour Women of the Year event. The star is about to start their Broadway run in Chicago and graced the audience with a performance of “I Know Where I’ve Been” from Hairspray.
Next up was Rachel Zegler with her own moving speech, followed by Rachel Accurso a.k.a Ms. Rachel. “I know our hearts have room for children beyond our own children and beyond the children of our country,” the latter said to a standing ovation. Read her full moving speech on Glamour.com.
Makeup legend Pat McGrath talked about her childhood as a kid Northampton and thanked her mother for teaching her that “beauty isn’t about color but about identity and self-expression and joy.”
Comedian and podcaster Hasan Minhaj then took the mic to introduce the women of the WNBA. “As a stand up comedian and podcaster, I think everyone knows why I’m here—to honor excellence in athletic achievement,” he joked. The Blue Demon Beacon high school cheer team then entered the room with a rousing call and response. Lexie Hull, Nyara Sabally, and Jonquel Jones were on hand to represent the women of the WNBA.
“You may have heard, but we are in a bit of a negotiation right now,” Hull told the crowd. “We fight our rivals hard on the court, but now we’re fighting for fair pay, safer play, and better resources for every player in the WNBA. Tonight, we want to thank the fans who are standing with us as we make the WNBA the best league in the world.”
